As Tet drew near, most hospitals make plans for doctors and nurses to work in shifts to provide emergency aid to patients.

Professor Nguyen Huu Tu, head of the Anaesthetisation and Recupation Ward under the Ha Noi Medical University Hospital, said that every year, more emergency cases were brought in over Tet.

With the number of patients increasing, medical staff who are assigned to work over the New Year are pushed to the limit.

“We need doctors and nurses to be on call in case of an emergency, such as a serious accident,” said Tu.

Those doctors and nurses had to stay close to Ha Noi and had to be prepared whenever the hospital called, he added.

Hoang Bui Hai, head of the hospital’s Emergency Aid Ward, said patient numbers had doubled over Tet, mostly because of traffic accidents and food poisoning.

“My colleagues and I were under a lot of pressure during the holiday,” he said.

Hai’s wife and children are used to him working over the holiday, but they call Hai to wish him a Happy New Year. However, some years Hai does not have time to even answer the phone because he is so busy.

“I don’t have time to be sad because I’m so busy and focused on my work,” said Hai.

Not only the Ha Noi Medical University Hospital, staff at other hospitals also keep working during the holidays.

Mai Duy Ton, a doctor at Bach Mai Hospital’s Emergency Aid Ward, said that his ward was responsible for diagnosing patients and treating them accordingly.

Bach Mai Hospital is also responsible for treating serious cases from northern provinces, so the workload increases sharply over the holidays.

Ton said he worked 12 hour shifts with 30 colleagues.

“New Year’s Eve is a sacred moment for Vietnamese people, but we can only spend 5-10 minutes together to celebrate before we return to our work because we are determined to be professional, especially over the holidays,” said Ton.

“We are proud because we provide emergency aid to patients, especially those from poor remote areas, and we all feel it is our responsibility to care for them,” he said.